The invention relates to a process for producing metals and/or primary metal products, in particular pig iron and/or primary pig iron products, in which an at least partially reduced, metal-containing charge material, in particular in fine particle form, is introduced, using pneumatic conveying, by means of a carrier gas stream, in the form of a stream of medium formed from the charge material and the carrier gas stream, into a melting unit, in particular a melter gasifier, for further processing.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for producing metals and/or primary metal products, in particular pig iron or primary pig iron products, from a metal-containing charge material, in particular in fine particle form, having a melting unit for the further processing of the charge material, in particular a melter gasifier, having a device for the pneumatic carrying of the charge material by means of a carrier gas stream.
It is known from the prior art that considerable demands are imposed in particular when carrying hot process materials. In addition to the thermal stresses on the carrier devices, in particular the quantitatively accurate carrying constitutes an important requirement which has to be met by the carrier system in order, through accurate process management, to achieve products having the desired profile of properties and little scatter with the properties.
In particular the carrying of metal-containing materials in fine particle form imposes high demands on the metallurgy process and installation technology. For example, in particular carrying warm or hot materials imposes additional demands on plant engineering.
It is known from the prior art to use what are known as pneumatic conveying devices for this purpose, with the material which is to be carried being moved by means of a gas stream.
WO 03/68994 A1 has disclosed a pneumatic conveying system of this type, which reveals the conveying of metal-containing charge materials by means of process gas withdrawn from the melting unit. In this case, however, in particular there is no solution as to how the metal-containing charge material should be introduced into the melting unit and how to achieve quantitative control of the introduction.
Working on the basis of the prior art, it is an object of the invention to provide a process in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 and an apparatus in accordance with the preamble of claim 11, which allow more accurate metering and distribution of charge materials and therefore more precise process management during the production of metal or primary metal products.